Tag: Death

A recent conversation between two people on twitter, only one of whom I was following put an incident in my radar. It was something that had happened 4 years back, towards the fag end of 2011. A couple had apparently given up their jobs in the US, moved back to India, and then to Goa where they had worked for a few years, given that up, freelanced, kept traveling regularly during this time, eventually spent a month in a 5 star hotel in Goa itself, and then unceremoniously hung themselves to death after disposing off all their possessions. Details here.

Like most things, this was also serendipity. The topic under conversation was Sallekhana, the Jain custom of people fasting to death after a certain age or when they feel they are done with it. In this case it is understandable. Honestly, life really isn’t worth living after you reach a certain age. This ‘certain age’ varies from person to person. Some hit it at 60, some get there pretty late and even seem to be going good at 100. We sure are living longer with each generation, but the quality of life isn’t improving as much as one would need. At least in India it is becoming a ‘No country for old people’ where the goal is towards keeping people alive as against their well being.

But I digress. The thing that interested me was the case of Deepa and Anand Ranthidevan. They weren’t even into middle age. 39 and 36 is still the prime of your life. Yes, you’re now past the hill after 30 and it is going to be downhill in terms of biological processes, but still with enough care and exercise, you don’t really feel old age until 50. Or at least that’s what I reckon (and hope!). Continue reading “Rambling again…”→